Medicare drugs

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The following is a list of briefings, documents, and publications that have been ranked by the Alliance for Health Reform in
order of relevance, 10 being "Exclusively Related" to the issue, to 5 being "Somewhat Related" to the issue.
Webcasts, transcripts and resource materials can be downloaded for each briefing listed.

Rank

Type

Description

10

Briefing

Reviewing Prescription Drug Coverage:
Policies and Practices Across Several Health Systems, 6/23/2006The Medicare prescription drug program offers coverage for prescription drugs through competing private plans, within a framework established by law and through rules established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In contrast, other countries, including Australia, the UK, and Canada, provide similar prescription drug programs, but within different regulatory structures. How do these countries decide which drugs will be approved and included in their prescription drug programs for the elderly and disabled?

Pharmaceutical Policy and Pricing: Are Other Countries Getting Greater Value?, 11/7/2011Spending on prescription drugs in the U.S. rose at a faster clip in 2009 than spending for hospital and physician care, a trend that is expected to continue through 2020. Thus, federal and state budget cutters – as well as private health plans and hospitals – have a keen interest in restraining drug costs. The desire to get a handle on drug spending is a focus in other countries as well. What are some strategies used in other countries to control pharmaceutical spending? How are value-based models being used by insurers and others to influence pharmaceutical utilization and health outcomes? How do the public and private sectors in the United States seek to contain pharmaceutical spending? To address these and related questions, the Alliance for Health Reform and The Commonwealth Fund are sponsoring a November 7 luncheon briefing.

8

Briefing

MEDICARE PART D: What Now, What Next?, 11/5/2007Close to 24 million Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Part D coverage for prescription drugs in the first two enrollment cycles. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, more than 75 percent of beneficiaries are satisfied with the program. But not all analysts and beneficiary advocates have pronounced the program a success in providing prescription drug coverage to the targeted group. How are dually-eligible beneficiaries, those eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, faring? Do beneficiaries continue to fill prescriptions when they reach the “doughnut hole” and the full cost comes out of their pockets? The Commonwealth Fund and the Alliance for Health Reform sponsored this briefing to address these and related questions.

8

Briefing

Making Sense of Medicare's Drug Benefit: Information and Resources to Help Beneficiaries, 11/7/2005To help understand the basics of the new Medicare prescription drug benefit, the nonpartisan Alliance for Health Reform and the Kaiser Family Foundation held a briefing especially for congressional staff, including district and state staff, but also of interest to others. Panelists were Tricia Neuman of the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Medicare Policy Project; Jack Vogelsong of Pennsylvania’s State Health Insurance and Assistance Program; Beatrice Disman of the New York Region of the Social Security Administration; and Julie Goon of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

8

Briefing

Implementing the Medicare Drug Benefit: The Stories Ahead, 9/27/2005Medicare beneficiaries can start signing up for prescription drug plans on November 15. Already, health plans have announced that they will be spending up to $80 million each to promote their offerings. The federal government and nonprofit groups are well into a massive effort to educate the public. But beneficiaries and those they rely on still have many questions about the program. The Alliance for Health Reform sponsored a briefing on Sept. 27 to help reporters with their coverage of the new benefit's implementation and offer story ideas.

Prospects for Health Care: Where Will New Congressional Leadership Take Us?, 12/8/2006 Come January, we can expect to see some new approaches to health legislation. Sen. Harry Reid, incoming Senate majority leader, says one of his top three priorities will be more funding for stem cell research. House Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi wants a vote early on to roll back the prohibition against the federal government negotiating prescription drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries. And these are just two of the health issues likely to be debated in the new Congress. The White House too will have a definite voice in the debates to come.

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